Device and a method of regulating a power plant including at least one turbine engine, and an aircraft

Abstract

A regulator device ( 10 ) for regulating a turbine engine ( 3 ). The regulator device ( 10 ) includes mechanical power take-off means ( 100 ) for taking off power mechanically from a gas generator ( 4 ), and an engine computer ( 20 ) controlling said engine ( 3 ) to comply with at least a first limitation (LimTET, LimT45) of a temperature (TET, T45) of the gas within the engine, and with a second limitation (LimNg) of a speed of rotation (Ng) of the gas generator ( 4 ). The engine computer ( 20 ) determines whether the speed of rotation (Ng) of the gas generator has reached said second limitation (LimNg), and whether said temperature (TET, T45) has reached said first limitation (LimTET, LimT45). An avionics computer ( 30 ) causes the mechanical power take-off means ( 100 ) to operate if the speed of rotation (Ng) of the gas generator ( 4 ) has reached said second limitation (LimNg), and if said temperature (TET, T45) has not reached said first limitation (LimTET, LimT45).

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of regulating an aircraft power plant including at least one turbine engine, the turbine engine including a gas generator, an auxiliary shaft, and a turbine assembly, the turbine assembly including a free turbine and a high-pressure turbine arranged upstream from the free turbine, the gas generator including a compressor connected to the high-pressure turbine, the power plant further including mechanical power take-off means connected to the gas generator via the auxiliary shaft for taking off power mechanically from the gas generator and the power plant further including an engine computer, the method comprising:
 the engine computer controlling the turbine engine so as to comply with at least a first limitation (LimTET, LimT45) for a temperature (TET, T45) of the gas within the turbine assembly, and with a second limitation (LimNg) for a speed of rotation (Ng) of the gas generator; 
 during an evaluation step (STP 1 ), determining whether the speed of rotation (Ng) of the gas generator has reached the second limitation (LimNg); 
 during the evaluation step (STP 1 ), determining whether the temperature (TET, T45) of the gas within the turbine assembly has reached the first limitation (LimTET, LimT45); and 
 during an optimization step (STP 2 ), if the speed of rotation (Ng) of the gas generator has reached the second limitation (LimNg) and if the temperature (TET, T45) of the gas within the turbine assembly has not reached the first limitation (LimTET, LimT45), then the engine computer controlling the mechanical power take-off means to increase the amount of power taken off mechanically from the gas generator and thereby reduce the speed of rotation (Ng) of the gas generator so as to optimize a power developed by the turbine engine. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 during the evaluation step (STP 1 ), determining whether the mechanical power take-off means have reached a maximum level of mechanical power take-off; and 
 during the optimization step (STP 2 ), if the speed of rotation (Ng) of the gas generator has reached the second limitation (LimNg), if the temperature (TET, T45) of the gas within the turbine assembly has not reached the first limitation (LimTET, LimT45), and if the mechanical power take-off means have not reached a maximum level of mechanical power take-off, then the engine computer controlling the mechanical power take-off means to increase the amount of power taken off mechanically from the gas generator so as to optimize the power developed by the turbine engine. 
 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical power take-off means electrically power at least one electrical device, and the electricity consumption of the at least one electrical device is maximized to increase the amount of power taken off mechanically from the gas generator. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein an electrical dissipater is provided that is electrically powered by the mechanical power take-off means, the electrical dissipater drawing electrical power if the speed of rotation (Ng) of the gas generator has reached the second limitation (LimNg) and if the temperature (TET, T45) has not reached the first limitation (LimTET, LimT45). 
     
     
       5. A regulator device for regulating an aircraft power plant including at least one turbine engine, the turbine engine including a gas generator, an auxiliary shaft, and a turbine assembly, the turbine assembly including a free turbine and a high-pressure turbine arranged upstream from the free turbine, the gas generator including a compressor connected to the high-pressure turbine, the regulator device comprising:
 mechanical power take-off means connected to the gas generator via the auxiliary shaft for taking off power mechanically from the gas generator; 
 an engine computer controlling the turbine engine so as to comply with at least a first limitation (LimTET, LimT45) of a temperature (TET, T45) of the gas within the turbine assembly, and with a second limitation (LimNg) of a speed of rotation (Ng) of the gas generator; 
 wherein: 
 the engine computer comprises a computation unit and a memory that stores instructions, the computation unit executing the instructions to determine whether the speed of rotation (Ng) of the gas generator has reached the second limitation (LimNg), and whether the temperature (TET, T45) of the gas within the turbine assembly has reached the first limitation (LimTET, LimT45); and 
 the regulator device further includes an avionics computer that communicates with the engine computer and with the mechanical power take-off means, the avionics computer including a computation system that executes stored instructions to control the mechanical power take-off means so as to increase the amount of power taken off mechanically from the gas generator and thereby reduce the speed of rotation (Ng) of the gas generator if the speed of rotation (Ng) of the gas generator has reached the second limitation (LimNg) and if the temperature (TET, T45) of the gas within the turbine assembly has not reached the first limitation (LimTET, LimT45). 
 
     
     
       6. The regulator device according to  claim 5 , wherein the mechanical power take-off means comprise electrical equipment that electrically powers at least one electrical device by an electrical master box. 
     
     
       7. The regulator device according to  claim 6 , wherein the avionics computer communicates with the mechanical power take-off means via the electrical master box to determine whether the mechanical power take-off means have reached a maximum level of mechanical power take-off. 
     
     
       8. The regulator device according to  claim 5 , further comprising an electrical dissipater that is electrically powered by the mechanical power take-off means, the electrical dissipater drawing electrical power if the speed of rotation (Ng) of the gas generator has reached the second limitation (LimNg) and if the temperature (TET, T45) has not reached the first limitation (LimTET, LimT45). 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first limitation is a limitation (LimTET) for a temperature (TET) of the gas at an inlet to the high-pressure turbine. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first limitation is a limitation (LimT45) for a temperature (T45) of the gas at an inlet to the free turbine. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1  wherein the mechanical power take-off means include an electrical generator, the electrical generator being driveable in rotation by the gas generator via the auxiliary shaft to take off power mechanically from the gas generator. 
     
     
       12. A method of regulating an aircraft power plant including an engine,
 a main power transmission gearbox connected to a rotary wing, and an electrical generator, the engine including a gas generator, an auxiliary shaft, and a turbine assembly, the turbine assembly including a free turbine connected to the main power transmission gearbox via an outlet shaft to drive the rotary wing via the main power transmission gearbox, the turbine assembly further including a high-pressure turbine arranged upstream from the free turbine, the gas generator including a compressor connected to the high-pressure turbine, the electrical generator being driveable in rotation by the gas generator via the auxiliary shaft connecting the electrical generator and the gas generator to take off power mechanically from the gas generator when driven in rotation by the gas generator, the method comprising: 
 an engine computer controlling the engine so as to comply with a first limitation for a temperature of the gas within the turbine assembly and a second limitation for a speed of rotation of the gas generator; and 
 when the speed of rotation of the gas generator has reached the second limitation and the temperature of the gas within the turbine assembly has not reached the first limitation, the engine computer controlling the electrical generator to be driven in rotation by the gas generator to increase the amount of power taken off mechanically from the gas generator and thereby reduce the speed of rotation of the gas generator and the engine computer increasing a fuel flow rate supplied to the engine to increase a torque from the free turbine on the outlet shaft so as to compensate for the reduction in the speed of rotation of the gas generator and thereby optimize a power developed by the engine. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12  wherein the first limitation is a limitation for a temperature of the gas at an inlet to the high-pressure turbine. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12  wherein the first limitation is a limitation for a temperature of the gas at an inlet to the free turbine.